The present invention relates to feeders for animals, for instance feeders for hummingbirds. Hummingbird feeders are a source of enjoyment for bird and nature enthusiasts. A hummingbird feeder is typically a reservoir that dispenses or makes available a food source to a hummingbird, namely nectar. Nectar typically comprises a sugar and water solution.
Some hummingbird feeders rely on a nozzle positioned below or under a reservoir of liquid hummingbird solution that mimics the nourishment found in nature. The weight of the feeding solution pushes the solution to the access point of the nozzle. The nozzle functions as a valve that should control the gravity-fed flow of feed solution by holding feed solution inside the nozzle until a hummingbird disturbs the nozzle to access the feed solution.
These hummingbird feeders tend to leak due to either the undesired flow from the nozzle, for example due to temperature changes, spoilage of the feed solution, and the wind moving the feeder, among other causes. Also, when a hummingbird disturbs the nozzle, it initiates a flow of feed solution from the feeder that results in the hummingbird releasing more feeding solution than it can ingest. Leakage furthermore attracts unwanted pests, such as ants and wasps that tend to contaminate the feed solution. What is needed are improved feeders for feeding hummingbirds, and other animals.